Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment

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Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
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Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
2019

                                                   Executive Summary
                                                   Wow Bao is this year’s Fast Casual Top 100 Mover & Shaker, and
                                                   the fact that a concept focused on healthy cuisine topped the list is
                                                   proof that customers are embracing more healthful food options. In
                                                   fact, 17 of the Top 25 brands on this year’s list fall into the healthy
                                                   category, which often includes Asian and Mediterranean concepts.
                                                   In its 2018 Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report, Technomic
           Tom Harper                              found that consumers were making food and beverage choices
               CEO                                 based on their personal definition of health. The report found that          Cherryh Cansler
    tomh@networldmediagroup.com                                                                                                 Editorial director,
                                                   66% of consumers looked for calorie counts on restaurant menus
                                                                                                                                Networld Media Group
            Kathy Doyle                            at least some of the time, and 34% said they’d be likely to order
         President & publisher
   kathyd@networldmediagroup.com                   dishes made with vegetables.
                                                   “The foodservice landscape will become more competitive when it comes to tastier, more
         Cherryh Cansler
          Editorial director                       innovative healthy menu offerings,” said Maia Chang, senior research analyst at Technomic.
 cherryhc@networldmediagroup.com                   “This means that more brands will face additional pressure to differentiate through transparency
            Brittany Warren                        and preparation techniques, as well as brand and sourcing stories.”
      Director of content marketing
 brittanyw@networldmediagroup.com                  Choosing the Top 100
                                                   Although nearly half the brands on this year’s list fell into the healthy category, a variety of
                                                   cuisine types, including pizza, burgers, barbecue and Mexican cuisine, still found a place.
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR:                                 It wasn’t an easy list to compile, however, as hundreds of brands nominated themselves by
The unique needs of fast casual and                taking part in a survey about their business practices and also nominated executives whom
QSR concepts require technology that               they believed best represented the industry.
is fast, reliable, and flexible. Oracle
Hospitality provides a one stop shop               A panel of judges weighed each nomination carefully before deciding on the final 100,
for hardware, software, back office                composed of 75 brands and 25 executives.
tools, cloud technology, and open APIs             While each winner offered customers a little something extra to differentiate it from its
for innovation, that are all integrated to
                                                   competitors, the top performers also shared important similarities — a heavy emphasis on
operate seamlessly, increase customer
                                                   employee training, high-quality ingredients, technology upgrades, brand culture and a passion
loyalty, and elevate profitability.
                                                   for giving back to their communities.
The 2019 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers &              The list also recognizes brands and leaders for their contributions to the growth of the fast
Shakers. ©2019 Networld Media Group LLC.
13100 East Point Park Blvd., Louisville, KY
                                                   casual segment. When it comes to creativity, progressiveness and hard work, these 100
40223. (502) 241-7545. All rights reserved. No     brands and executives are leading the restaurant industry as a whole.
part of this publication may be reproduced
without the express written approval of the
publisher. Viewpoints of the columnists and        Sincerely,
editors are their own and do not necessarily
represent the viewpoints of the publisher.         Cherryh Cansler
                                                   Director of Editorial, Networld Media Group

                                                                                Table of                      4      Top 75 brands
                                                                               Contents                       31 Top 25 executives
                                                                                                                                                      3
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Top 75 Brands

#1 Wow Bao
Although Wow Bao exists via company-owned stores, airport locations, sports stadiums, college
campus units and a frozen retail grocery line, the 11-unit Chicago-based chain is probably best
known as an innovator in technology. Its newest locations, for example, feature a fully automated
front-of-house customer experience that merges speed, order accuracy and hospitality. And
that’s not all.
The chain — which serves hot Asian steamed buns, potstickers, and rice and noodle bowls —
has also integrated its POS with desktop and mobile app ordering and added third-party delivery
platforms, email marketing and loyalty programs. The back-of-house solution fully integrates with
accounting and inventory management, and each team member has access to an online training
portal that includes videos and evaluations.
“We are now utilizing unique customer data to target and personalize our marketing initiatives,”
said Christine Reznicek, marketing manager.
The brand doubled its size in 2018 and will do the same this year, thanks to the private equity
funding it recently acquired.
The funding also helped Wow Bao open a home office last year, adding seven positions, including
a senior director of business development, a chief technology officer and a director of employee
experience to handle all human resources requirements. Wow Bao also partnered with a supply
chain team to establish a pipeline for growth and address the needs of its licensed units. It plans
to begin franchising this year as well.

2019                                                                                                  4
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Top 75 Brands

#2 Pokéworks
Consumers are demanding transparency in the food they order from fast casual
restaurants, a trend that the founders of Pokéworks are counting on to flourish.
“Healthy eating is not just a trend or a fad, but a necessity to ensure you are doing
what is best for your body,” said Kevin Hsu, co-founder and chief marketing officer
(CMO). “At Pokéworks, we are striving to deliver clarity on the sourcing practices we
have with each item we serve to meet this demand.”
Hsu founded the brand in 2015, in Manhattan with his brother, Kasper Hsu, and
college buddies and brothers Peter Yang and Michael Wu. The four shared a
vision of bringing people quality and affordable flavorful food.
Heightened by the popularity of the poke trend — which has reached an annual
growth rate of 25% and growing — Pokéworks has 38 locations with more than
100 under development. It opened 18 units last year and is on target to open
30 by the end of 2019, including making its international debut. The brand has a
master franchise agreement to open in Mexico.
                                                                                        Toridoll Holdings Corp., a Tokyo-based restaurant
Offering guests an authentic taste of the islands, Pokéworks — in collaboration         company that operates 1,028 restaurant locations
with Bravo’s “Top Chef” Sheldon Simeon — provides a fresh take on Hawaiian-             in Japan and 533 overseas. The $1.6 billion
inspired poke burritos, bowls and salads derived from the local waters.                 holding company will help Pokéworks open 400
Setting the tone for its continued growth, Pokéworks joined forces last year with       locations and launch a presence in Japan.

#3 The Halal Guys
The Halal Guys may have gotten a humble start as a food cart in the ’90s in New York
City, but the chain has since grown to 80 brick-and-mortar units, opening 36 of those
last year. It’s on track to more than double its presence in 2019, said CEO Ahmed
Abouelenein, whose goal is to hit 180 locations by the end of the year and eventually
have 400 locations around the world.
The concept, which has restaurants in 17 states and six countries, opened its first
European location earlier this year in London and aims to open three more England-
based locations within the year.
The Halal Guys has embraced innovation by recently partnering with Kitchen United,
a company that offers off-premise kitchen centers for brands and franchises. The
chain’s cuisine is available for pickup, delivery and catering from the off-premise
                                                                                            a recent partnership with Allset, a company
kitchen space in Pasadena.
                                                                                            that allows guests to place orders and pay in
The chain reported $2.2 million in same-store sales in 2018, and keeps its customers        advance. In the app, diners select the arrival
engaged and employees happy via its mobile loyalty app, digital POS, online food            time, order, pay and tip in advance. The
safety inspections and mystery shopper programs, Abouelenein said.                          restaurant is then able to prepare the meal for
Another way the chain is looking outside the box to make customers happy is through         service when the guest arrives.

2019                                                                                                                                    5
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Top 75 Brands

 #4 Garbanzo
  Mediterranean Fresh
  If Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh had to define a mission, it would be       a Brink cloud-based POS that feeds directly into the BOH
  to make fresh Mediterranean food a staple across the U.S. It is well      platform. Externally, Garbanzo offers customers a rewards
  on its way as the 30-unit chain is entering three markets this year,      program powered by Paytronix, including a mobile app with
  with 28 units in the pipeline for St. Louis, Boston and Indianapolis.     native online ordering and integration into Monkey Media for
  The chain, which opened four units and reported a 9% increase             catering. Tattle measures customer feedback, and SweetIQ
  in same-store sales last year, also deployed native online                manages Garbanzo’s digital presence.
  ordering for both retail and catering within its mobile app. The          That tech-savvy approach attracts not only millennial customers
  enhancement removed barriers to ordering and is an example of             but also operating partners.
                                         Garbanzo’s commitment              “I’m a millennial and proud of it, so I was searching for an
                                         to upgrading the customer          emerging brand that attracts other millennials by using a forward-
                                         experience and streamlining        thinking approach, and Garbanzo does exactly that,” said Derek
                                         operations via technology.         St. George, a Boston-based operating partner
                                         Internally, the company used
                                         an Oracle-powered custom
                                         back-of-house solution,

#5 Nékter Juice Bar
Aggressive expansion is on the horizon this year for Nékter               as locally as possible to retain
Juice Bar, which opened in 2010 in California, with a goal of             peak freshness and optimal
not only delivering clean and unprocessed juice and smoothies             nutritional content.
to its guests but also changing generational thinking on how              Nékter, which will open 75
people view their food, health and individual lifestyles.                 restaurants in existing markets
Fast forward to 2019, and 150 units later, Nékter is still                and at least seven in new markets
educating consumers but is also listening to them. It recently            across the country by the end of
wrapped up a “listening tour” that involved conversations,                the year, opened 31 units in seven
interviews and focus groups with guests in 13 U.S. states.                new markets last year.
The feedback underscored Nekter’s predictions that                        It has 167 restaurants in development and will continue to use a
consumers were becoming more concerned with sourcing,                     cluster approach as it enters markets, Schulze said.
and inspired the brand’s in-house R&D team and marketing                  “This approach takes the brand into new markets with initially
department to focus even more on transparency and                         three to five locations, typically 3 to 5 miles apart, to optimize
ingredient integrity, CEO and co-founder Steve Schulze                    operations, maximize marketing, and build optimal and
said. The brand initiated a national sourcing and distribution            meaningful buzz and brand awareness,” he said.
program to ensure produce and other ingredients are sourced

2019                                                                                                                                           6
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Top 75 Brands

#6 Sajj Mediterranean
                                Mediterranean cuisine is exploding       In addition to store
                                across the fast casual industry, and     growth, Sajj also worked
                                Sajj Mediterranean is determined         to stay on top of 2018
                                to lead the newest generation to         industry trends and
                                the cuisine with its healthy, locally    adapted offerings to
sourced offerings and customizable menu. Guests choose their             meet the demands of
entree format (sajj wrap, rice bowl, salad, pita sandwich) and pile it   consumers. For example,
with chicken or steak shawarma, or the brand’s falafel, which was        it created Chocolate
named the “best falafel in the Bay Area” by Zagat SF.                    Hummus as a better-for-
Authentic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern sauces, chutneys              you dessert alternative that uses healthy ingredients and also
and beverages made with fresh ingredients sourced from local             introduced the plant-based Impossible Kabob, made with a plant-
California farms are also available. Each Sajj location displays a       based alternative developed by Impossible Foods.
map of the region and connects menu ingredients to the farms             The chain may be small, but it hasn’t let its size stand in the way
where they were grown, allowing guests to see where their meals          of being a tech-savvy brand. For example, it uses a cloud-based
are coming from.                                                         POS system and has a mobile app with ordering payment
In 2018, the nine-unit chain, which also has two food trucks,            capabilities that offers customers digital rewards. It also has
reported a 22% increase in same-store sales and opened four              an online ordering portal for individual meals and catering,
stores in Northern California and Southern California. Its growth        automated accounting and scheduling tools and digital ops
plan calls for 15 units to be in operation by year’s end.                control systems.

#7 Teriyaki Madness
Denver-based Teriyaki Madness saw 2018 as an opportunity to push outside its four walls.
The 50-unit Asian fast casual brand rolled out delivery and catering and launched a mobile
app for ordering, pickup and connecting with many of the third-party delivery apps.
Those upgrades paid off as the chain reported that its off-premise sales increased 30%
along with traffic counts and average ticket size in 2018. Same-store sales were up
13.36%, which was 19 times above the industry average. Profitability was also up 23%,
and AUVs exceeded $1 million.
“We’re on a constant quest to keep our guests happy and satisfied,” CEO Michael Haith said.
The brand’s 2019 growth plan calls for an additional 50 shops to open in new states as
well as international growth. It will also sign agreements to develop up to 108 shops.
Also helping Teriyaki Madness increase sales and profitability was the addition of a variety
of technology deployments, including Revel’s POS iPad-based system, Chatmeter’s social
media and reputation management platform, ProfitKeeper to manage profit and losses,
and Naranga as a digital launch platform, support center and digital library for franchisees.

2019                                                                                                                                      7
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Top 75 Brands

#8 Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen has officially transformed from a small brand created in 2007, by three buddies during
their college years at Georgetown, into the restaurant industry’s first “unicorn,” now worth over $1
billion. The 90-unit brand is still growing and vying to become the digital food platform of the future.

The brand known for its healthful menu is just as passionate about kids as it is about its food. Since
2010, it has partnered with schools to host workshops teaching more than 9,000 students about
healthy eating, fitness and sustainability through fun, hands-on activities, and this year Sweetgreen
is on a mission to change school lunches.

However, that wasn’t enough for the brand, so it partnered this year with FoodCorps, a nonprofit
company working to connect children to healthy food, to pilot Reimagining School Cafeterias. It has
three components: The Tasty Challenge in Aberdeen gets kids to think about ways to cook with
produce; at a Navajo Nation school in New Mexico, kids can play with different sauces and spices at
the Taste Buds Flavor Bar; and children attending an elementary school in Oakland are participating
in Our Cafeteria, which allows them to brainstorm ways to make their cafeteria better.

“With FoodCorps we can really scale the idea of Sweetgreen in Schools with a focus on school
cafeterias,” said Nathaniel Ru, co-founder and chief brand officer of Sweetgreen.

#9 Wahlburgers
Hardly anyone is surprised that a restaurant run by the Wahlberg brothers is a success. The brand —
founded in October 2011 in Hingham, Massachusetts, by chef Paul Wahlberg and celebrities Donnie
and Mark, which is also the subject of an A&E reality show — has grown to 29 restaurants in 19 states
and Canada and will open its first London location this year. It has even partnered with Hy-Vee, a
Midwestern grocer, to roll out 26 Wahlburgers restaurants, making it the brand’s largest franchisee. Its
first three Wahlburgers locations opened in 2018: at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota; in
West Des Moines, Iowa; and in Olathe, Kansas.

One way the brand stays connected with its guests is via “Virtual Visitor,” an automated, live
engagement experience that enables the Wahlberg family to remotely video into the restaurants
equipped with the technology to have face-to-face conversations with guests.

Not a brand to be satisfied by relying solely on the brothers’ fame, however, the chain uses fresh
ingredients and is continually testing new offerings. For example, it launched the meatless Impossible
Burger last year, and its frozen retail line is available in more than 4,000 grocery stores across the
country. It also has a line of branded clothing, hats and accessories and has taken its burgers on the
road via a food truck in Boston.

2019                                                                                                       8
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Top 75 Brands

#10 Wing Zone
It was a tale of two halves for Atlanta-based Wing Zone in 2018. In the first half, the company was down 11%; however,
after making some changes, including a revised marketing plan and a focus on operations, the company was up 14
percent by the second half of the year.
Wing Zone continues to be a menu innovator after more than 25 years, introducing unique menu items in 2018, including a
Zesty Breaded Wing style and two new wing flavors. The company, which is now working on its 2019 upgrades, focuses
its innovation efforts on the shifting tastes of consumers and
leverages its expertise in takeout/delivery. Its lineup of wings has
been honored year after year at the National Buffalo Wing Festival.
It’s also not afraid to evolve; it added third-party delivery, for
example, and continues to invest in tech to engage its guests. It
recently launched text and email marketing with results tracking and
adjusts its strategy based on data collected from those platforms.
Wing Zone continues to expand, with franchise locations opening
across the country, and plans to open eight locations this year in
the U.S. It’s also expanding its international footprint, with 12-14
international locations (Panama and the Philippines) opening by the
end of the year.

#11 &pizza
Founded by Michael Lastoria in 2012, Washington, D.C.-based &pizza is up to over 30 units and focuses
on company culture. The chain, known for letting its employees be who they are — tattoos and piercings
are welcome — is also passionate about paying fair wages. Lastoria has been an active voice in the Fight
for $15, for example, and employs strict policies of paying a fair and livable wage.
The brand is also known for taking care of its communities. For example, during one of the government shutdowns
in 2018,, &pizza gave laid-off workers 30,000 free pizzas. In what might be described as good karma, the chain then
garnered a lot of press and customer love from a video of a man eating from an &pizza box during an interview outside
the Michael Cohen trial in March 2019. It got nearly 2 million views and inspired Lastoria to create several memes and an
official “hallway pizza” to capitalize on the attention.
“People were really getting a kick out of, No. 1, how we mobilize as a brand and take advantage of just the fact of how
someone was eating pizza behind a camera that went viral, and No. 2, the power and impact of internet culture,” Lastoria
said during a podcast. “And the cool thing for a brand like ours is that internet culture is literally right down the middle of
something that we understand because the brand happens to be more youthful.”
The average age of the pizza joint’s employees is 23, which explains why it is digital savvy, from its in-store screens that
feature menu items, memes and social media activity to the weekly podcasts that Lastoria hosts for employees.

2019                                                                                                                              9
Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment
Top 75 Brands

#12 Protein Bar & Kitchen
When it comes to innovation, Protein Bar & Kitchen is fearless. It not only added riced cauliflower to its
protein-packed menu last year but now is testing CBD oil in its drinks.
The chain gives customers the option of adding 30 milligrams of CBD oil to their drinks as a floating boost,”
meaning employees will drop the oil on top of an already made shake or coffee. The boost is $2.99.
“Research has shown CBD has great promise in treating inflammation, pain, sleeping disorders and
aiding in relaxation — all things that obviously appeal to our guests,” CEO Jeff Drake said in a recent
interview. “CBD can deliver many of these benefits without any psychoactive effects.”
CBD oil isn’t the only new thing at the chain; it changed its name last year from Protein Bar to Protein
Bar & Kitchen and is redesigning the menu and the look of its 19 locations. It’s keeping its orange color
but is swapping out brown details with white and teal accents and adding a separate area dedicated to
mobile-order pickup.
The menu now includes breakfast and offers eggs cooked in ghee and offers the Beauty Brew
smoothie, iced coffee, a protein and almond milk concoction made with collagen powder and a
Whole30 bowl that follows a no-added-sugar meal plan.
The chain, founded in 2009 in Chicago, has locations in Denver and Washington, D.C.

#13 Tender Greens
Los Angeles-based Tender Greens, founded in 2006, proved it wasn’t afraid to be first last
year when it announced it was banning cash. Over the years, the chain, which specializes
in healthful options and is backed by Danny Meyer, had seen the percentage of its cash
transactions drop significantly and decided to ditch it entirely.
“It seems that people are moving away from cash and technology is making it easier than ever to tap
and go,” according to a note on its website. “We crunched the data, did some time-motion studies, and
tested our theories at a new restaurant. We learned that a significant amount of time (both guests and
our team) was spent on handling cash and managing that cash. At the restaurant we tested cashless,
we noticed that guests were getting through the line faster and our teams were getting back hours of
time to do more interesting and meaningful things.”
To make it easier on guests, the chain launched a digital gift card feature on its mobile app, allowing
customers to pay in-store and online using gift cards on the app.
Leadership believes that customers will spend less time waiting in line and that getting rid of cash is
more efficient because workers can focus on cooking and spending time with guests instead of the
administrative work associated with cash.
“It’s cleaner and better for the environment because there will be no armored trucks picking up and
dropping off cash, no more plastic deposit bags, and paper for cash deposit slips,” said the brand,
which now has 30 units.

2019                                                                                                            10
Top 75 Brands

#14 Moe’s Southwest Grill
Moe’s brand hallmark, the “Welcome to Moe’s” greeting, is heard by guests 11,275 times a day across
700 restaurants, and the chain stays in close contact with them via digital channels. Moe’s has more
than 800,000 fans across its social channels, for example, and 14% of all 2018 transactions came from
the brand’s mobile ordering and loyalty app.
Moe’s, based in Atlanta, relies on those social tools to learn what customers want added to the menu.
For example, it launched several seasonal salsas last year, along with an upgraded taco platform with
new ingredients, including shredded cabbage, pickled red onions and queso fresco.
Last year, the chain unveiled a prototype — The Oasis — which included a full interior and exterior
redesign, significant menu innovation and updated brand positioning.
“Over the past 18 months we’ve taken a comprehensive look at our brand and intently listened to our
fans in the process,” President Bruce Schroder said. “As a result, we have updated the restaurant
design and expanded the menu — both of which deliver on the brand’s new positioning, ‘Untamed
Southwest.’ By fully activating our middle name and putting our own distinctive spin on the meaning
of Southwest, our goal is to maintain cultural relevance and truly set ourselves apart in the fast casual
restaurant industry.”

#15 Blaze Pizza
To say that Blaze is on fire would not be an exaggeration, as 2018 was another break-
through year for the California-based brand. It opened 80 units, bringing its total to 315,
which included five locations in Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in just
nine months, and ended the year with 19 international restaurants.
The chain — backed by equity firm Brentwood Associates and founding investors which include LeBron James, Maria Shriver,
movie producer John Davis and Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner — features custom-built pizzas, salads, lemonades
and s’more pies. What sets this fast casual pizza join apart from its competitors, however, is its dough. Employees make it
from scratch using a proprietary recipe developed by executive chef Bradford Kent (the “Pizza Whisperer”), which requires a
24-hour fermentation period to produce his light and crisp crust.
It’s apparently in high demand, as is delivery. In Q4 2018, for example, off-premise digital sales grew 121% and now make
up 10% of sales. To help better fill those orders, the chain launched a new mobile app and partnered with four third-party
delivery companies.
This year, Blaze leadership expects to exceed 20% of sales through digital orders.
“Since the beginning, we’ve planned to build this second leg to our business and now the day has come,” Blaze co-founder
and CMO Elise Wetzel said. “It’s why we’ve built a second make-line and an oversized oven into every restaurant since the
beginning. This untapped capacity is a huge competitive advantage and allows us to grow our off-premise business without
sacrificing our dine-in guest experience.”

2019                                                                                                                          11
Top 75 Brands
                                               #17 CoreLife                                     its CoreLife Challenge. Although it started
                                               Eatery                                           a couple of years ago, it has ramped up to
                                                                                                a nationwide effort as a 21-day challenge
                                               CoreLife Eatery is evolving as one of the        to encourage people to eat and live a
                                               fastest-growing brands in the United             healthier life by giving participants the
                                               States. It opened its first eatery in May        tools (including food) necessary to eat and
                                               2015 in Syracuse, New York, with hopes           live healthier.
                                               of creating a place that sought out the
                                               best foods available and prepared them
#16 Crave                                      in front of customers instead of having a
Hot Dogs and                                   truck deliver pre-prepared foods.
                                               It’s working. In fact, the brand more than
Barbecue                                       doubled its revenue in one year, reporting
As far as brands go, Crave Hot Dogs            a 133% revenue spike in 2018. Under
and Barbecue is just a baby but is             the direction of Panera Bread’s former
cutting its teeth quickly. After spending      chief development officer, President Scott
their entire careers in the restaurant         Davis, the brand is taking its bone broth,
industry, Salvatore Rincione and his           bowls of greens and grains, grass-fed
wife, Samantha, created the brand
that features customizable barbecue
                                               steak, all-natural chicken and fresh tofu        #18 Spyce Food Co.
                                               across the country. Opening 26 units last
sandwiches, hot dogs, brats and                                                                 After becoming fed up with not being able
                                               year, CoreLife Eatery plans to have 70-75
sausages in February, but it will have 18                                                       to find affordable, healthful meals, Michael
                                               locations open nationwide by the end of
units open by the end of the year. It’s open                                                    Farid, Kale Rogers, Luke Schlueter and
                                               2019, and 300 over the next five years.
seven days a week and offers dine-in,                                                           Brady Knight created the world’s first
                                               Half of CoreLife’s units are company-
drive-thru and delivery options.                                                                restaurant featuring a robotic kitchen that
                                               owned; half are franchised.
                                                                                                not only cooks complex meals but also
“We did not have a single corporate unit       “It didn’t start that way,” Davis said in a      cleans the cooking apparatus. Customers
opened, and for 2018, we sold over 12          recent interview. “The first phase was we        place their orders via touchscreen and
units,” Rincione said.                         built our own stores as a model. In the last     wait as a robot makes their orders. The
Locations are already open in Oklahoma,        year and a half, we’ve added franchise           menu features bowls that guests may
Texas and North Carolina, and the brand        locations. It helps us get the brand out         customize to be vegetarian, pescatarian,
has signed 12 franchisees with hopes           into other markets. We’ve been planting          gluten-free and vegan.
of reaching 50 units over the next couple      seeds in suburban markets. We wanted             Each dish costs $7.50 because the
of years.                                      to be the first significant player around this   Spyce boys got the idea for their robot
Part of Crave’s popularity stems from its      idea of clean eating and wellness.”              when they were hungry MIT graduate
self-service beer wall, created by iPourIt,    The brand’s genuine dedication for               students and water polo teammates
that offers local craft and domestic beer      healthy eating and living is evident through     tired of spending $10 on takeout lunches
from 18 to 32 tap handles. Crave also                                                           and dinners. They began working on
offers a red wine, white wine and cider                                                         the robot in 2015 in their dorm rooms
option on tap.                                                                                  and eventually built a prototype from
Although the brand is young, Crave isn’t                                                        plywood, parts from Home Depot and
waiting to upgrade its customer service. It                                                     power strips in their fraternity basement.
opened with self-order kiosks and a Crave                                                       When it was time to launch, they
app that allows guests to collect loyalty                                                       partnered with French chef Daniel Boulud
points, order ahead and pay.                                                                    to create the menu and open the first
                                                                                                location last year in Boston.

2019                                                                                                                                     12
Top 75 Brands
A few months later, the men raised $21         “I’ve known Mike since before we opened
million in Series A funding and are using      the first Asian Box, and we personally
it to open a number of restaurants on          picked him because we know he is
the East Coast and further develop their       eminently qualified to lead Asian Box in
robotic culinary platform. They are hiring     the next phase of its growth and is just
additional employees to roughly double in      as passionate about the brand as the
size over the next year.                       founding partners,” Klein said.                                             Newk's Eatery
“Just as on day one, we remain singularly
focused on delivering an unbelievable
                                                                                              handcrafted cocktails, local microbrews
meal and experience each time someone
                                                                                              and specialty wines. Syrups, sodas
visits Spyce,” Farid said.                     #20 Curry                                      and tonics are made in-house to curate
                                               Up Now                                         Indian-inspired libations, such as the
                                                                                              Bangalore Old Fashioned with garam
                                               Since being included on last year’s
                                                                                              masala and Indian rum. The concept
                                               Movers & Shakers list, Curry Up Now, the
                                                                                              is doing so well that Curry Up Now
                                               nine-unit chain based in California, has
                                                                                              is adding the lounges to its Atlanta
                                               signed multiple franchise deals in markets
                                                                                              locations slated to open by the end of
                                               across the country, solidifying the brand
                                                                                              the year. The chain also offers off-site bar
                                               as the largest Indian fast casual concept
                                                                                              catering, bringing bartenders and craft
                                               in the nation.
                                                                                              cocktails to their customers’ parties.
                                               In 2018, the brand inked multiunit
#19 Asian Box                                  franchise deals in the Northeast, South,
Asian Box has proven to be an industry         West Coast and Mountain States and is
                                               developing 41 franchise stores nationwide
leader in Southeast Asian Vietnamese-
style street food, featuring fresh, made-      in nearly every major region of the U.S.
                                                                                              #21 Everbowl
to-order menu items that are 100 percent       With pending franchise deals in more than      Everbowl believes the key to life is
gluten-free.                                   13 new states, Curry Up Now plans to           motion — and the key to motion is food.
                                               have 100 units in development by the end       This superfood brand has put a plan for
In 2018, Asian Box opened five locations,
                                               of 2019, with an additional 200 units sold     success in motion.
bringing its total units in operation to 10.
                                               in 2020.                                       The brand has opened more than 17
It doesn’t look like there are any signs of
slowing. Growth plans show accelerated         The brand is known for taking traditional      locations in just under three years and
franchising with intent-to-sign deals worth    Indian offerings and presenting them in a      is still growing in California. The San
an additional 15 locations while also          way that is accessible and approachable        Diego-based founder Jeff Fenster is set
gearing up for corporate growth in 2020.       for the American consumer. Indian staples      to open 45 Everbowl locations by the end
                                               such as tikka masala and naan are              of this year and is planning to double that
With the naming of Mike Speck as CEO,
                                               transformed into Mission-style burritos        in 2020. Expansion has already begun
Asian Box is building the brand from the
                                               (a San Francisco signature), poutine and       from Riverside and Orange counties, and
inside out. The company focused on
                                               flatbread pizzas — formats that are known      Fenster will open his first out-of-state store
building positive people practices that
                                               and loved in the U.S., but largely unseen in   — in Scottsdale, Arizona — in April.
drive top-line success through methods
                                               traditional Indian cuisine.                    “Driving the expansion is our commitment
of positive morale, as well as retaining
people who shared its values to make a         Curry Up Now is also hitting the bar           to making healthy eating accessible and
long-lasting impact. Founder Frank Klein       scene. Two of its locations in California,     affordable for everyone,” said Fenster, who
brought in Speck to help manage the            for example, house Mortar & Pestle, the        is passionate about health and a fitness
growth strategy.                               brand’s laid-back lounges that serve           advocate. “Our goal is to open as many
                                                                                              stores as we can as quickly as possible,

2019                                                                                                                                     13
Top 75 Brands
because this kind of food should be          fresh ingredients. Chefs bake the bread
available to everyone.”                      each day and handcraft all their sauces.
Everbowl recently received a $3 million      In 2018, Melt Shop launched the Vegan
                                             Burger Melt and Housemade Chicken
investment from Canada’s Serruya Private
                                             Tenders across all locations and is
Equity, which has backed Pinkberry,
                                             continually polling customers to find out
Jamba Juice and Cold Stone Creamery.
                                             what they would like to add to the menu
Wellness is not Fenster’s only passion;      as well as how they want to place orders.
he’s also just as committed to helping the
                                             Melt Shop is adding a loyalty component
communities in which he does business.
                                             to its mobile app this year, so guests
Everbowl hires locally and has over 300
                                             can earn free meals and swag and gain
employees, and all store managers have
                                             exclusive access to Melt Shop events.
been promoted from within the company.
                                             Users will also be able to order delivery,   years have contributed to Chicken
“Company culture is essential to our         pickup and catering through the app.         Salad Chick’s rapid growth and ongoing
success,” Fenster said. “We not only                                                      success, none of which would be
                                             Growth plans for 2019 include further
believe in providing a healthy and                                                        possible without our loyal fans. We’re
                                             expansion across target markets
accessible product, we are also committed                                                 excited to build upon this momentum
                                             throughout the Northeast, including the
to fostering a great work environment. The                                                in 2019 as we grow the brand in new
                                             brand’s home state of New York but also
two main rules of Everbowl are to make                                                    and existing markets and serve more
                                             Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware.
friends and have fun!”                                                                    communities and guests across
                                                                                          the country.”

                                             #23 Chicken
                                             Salad Chick                                  #24 Farmer
                                             Last year was a great year for Chicken       Boys
                                             Salad Chick. In addition to celebrating
                                                                                          Farm-fresh and locally sourced ingredients
                                             its 10th anniversary, the Alabama-based      have become buzzworthy topics over the
                                             brand experienced its 12th consecutive       last few years, but Farmer Boys has been
                                             quarter of positive growth. Last year also   committed to serving farm-fresh food
#22 Melt Shop                                saw the opening of 26 restaurants and
                                             the signing of 21 franchise agreements
                                                                                          since five burger-loving brothers raised on
Since opening as a walk-up counter                                                        a family farm opened it 38 years ago in
                                             throughout the Southeast, the Midwest        California. The menu is made from locally
in 2011 in New York City, Melt Shop
                                             and Texas. In 2019, the company plans to     sourced ingredients, and produce comes
launched a franchising program and now
                                             focus on developing additional franchise     fresh and whole to each restaurant.
has 13 units in New York, New Jersey,
                                             and company locations, and is planning to
Delaware, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.                                                     The 92-unit chain, which opened three
                                             open 45 restaurants.
The chain opened five locations last year                                                 units and reported a 5% increase in same-
and also signed a multiunit franchise        “2018 was year of milestones for Chicken     store sales last year, plans to open six this
agreement to open 23 restaurants across      Salad Chick,” said Scott Deviney, CEO        year throughout its existing markets of
the Northeast — a testament to the           of Chicken Salad Chick, in a news            California and Nevada.
brand’s aggressive plans to grow to 100      release. “We debuted in three new states
                                             and opened our 100th restaurant. The         The brand sets itself apart by embracing
locations by 2023.
                                             efforts of our talented support team,        its farm roots and focusing on top-selling
The company’s success stems from its                                                      menu items in each daypart, which
                                             dedicated franchisees and passionate
menu of melted sandwiches made from                                                       include the Farmer’s Burger, Farmer’s
                                             store employees over the last several

2019                                                                                                                               14
Top 75 Brands
Chopped Cobb Salad, Breakfast Burritos        canola oil and can now source it as a
and a line of antibiotic-free and hormone-    nearly 60-unit company. That’s just one
free Natural Burgers.                         of the many benefits of merging. Others
While the industry primarily promoted low-    include developing customer integration
priced meal deals, Farmer Boys steered        with the third-party vendors they share
clear of the price wars and emphasized        and increasing their human resources
its extensive hand-preparation daily and      offerings, including better employee
best sellers. The chain also launched its     benefits and training.
“crispy fries which retain crispiness up to   Since Lemonade is based in California
30 minutes.”                                  and Modern Market operates in Colorado,
                                              Texas, Arizona, Washington, D.C., and        #26 Modern
                                              Maryland, they aren’t competing in the
                                              same markets. They do, however, share
                                                                                           Restaurant
#25 Tropical                                  the same investor — Butterfly — a Los        Concepts
                                              Angeles-based private equity firm. As
                                                                                           With notable milestones, achievements,
Smoothie Café                                 part of the transaction, global investment
                                                                                           franchise developments and positive
                                              firm KKR will contribute its investment in
Modern Restaurant Concepts grabbed                                                         comp sales, Atlanta’s Tropical Smoothie
                                              Lemonade to the merger and become
FastCasual’s attention this year after                                                     Cafe continues to separate itself from
                                              a shareholder in Modern Restaurant
announcing that it was combining two                                                       competitors. The brand wrapped up 2018
                                              Concepts.
successful brands — Modern Market                                                          with 6.5% in positive comp sales, opened
Eatery and Lemonade Restaurant Group          “With Lemonade and Modern Market             its 700th location and accelerated its
— into one company.                           Eatery under one roof, we will have an       presence in growth markets such as Ohio,
                                              offering that will thrive in more markets    Indiana and Texas. It opened 110 cafes
“This merger creates a platform with
                                              and nontraditional foodservice outlets       and signed 191 franchise agreements last
the scale necessary to truly disrupt the
                                              across the U.S. than any comparable          year but also focused on menu innovation,
restaurant landscape,” said Modern
                                              single-concept company,” said Chief          rolling out grilled-to-order quesadillas.
Market co-founder and co-CEO Anthony
                                              Development Officer (CDO) Jim Sullivan,
Pigliacampo, who will continue in that                                                     The new menu item’s daily average
                                              former CDO of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s
role at Modern Restaurant Concepts,                                                        sales were impressive out of the gate
                                              parent CKE Restaurant Holdings.
alongside Rob McColgan, the chain’s                                                        with 23 quesadillas per cafe, resulting in
other co-founder and co-CEO. Although                                                      quesadillas making up 6% of overall sales.
the merger means that the companies                                                        By specifically designing menu innovations
will share operational platforms, they’ll                                                  for its target audience, Tropical Smoothie
continue to operate and expand                                                             Cafe has been able to leverage food trends
separately via corporate growth in addition                                                to complement its smoothies. This, along
to franchising and licensing.                                                              with the launch of a limited-time offer Citrus
                                                                                           Cactus Smoothie in April and two pressed
“We both stand for chef-driven, sustainable
                                                                                           sandwiches, the fast casual brand is
food, but we do it in very different
                                                                                           constantly aiming to think outside the box
ways, and we thought, ‘If we put them
                                                                                           and stay ahead of the industry.
together, we could get the 1 plus 1 = 3,’”
Pigliacampo said. “We’d have the scale of                                                  With Charles Watson taking over this
a bigger brand and be able to offer better                                                 year as CEO, the brand is on track to
benefits and support to employees.”                                                        reach 825 locations by the end of the
                                                                                           year, with a goal of signing 200 franchise
For example, both chains, each of which
                                                                                           agreements. Target markets include
has about 30 units, use non-GMO
                                                                                           Philadelphia, Charlotte, Houston, Dallas
                                                                                           and St. Louis.
2019                                                                                                                                  15
Top 75 Brands
Tropical Smoothie is not only focused on                                                      Founded by CEO Matthew Corrin in
growth; it also gives back to its community                                                   Canada, Freshii plans to have between
by supporting Camp Sunshine, which                                                            730 and 760 stores by the end of 2019
provides an authentic camp experience                                                         and is projecting an annual same-store
for children with life-threatening illnesses.                                                 sales growth outlook of between 3%
The chain hosts fundraisers throughout                                                        and 4% for the year. Freshii opened 69
the year and raised more than $1 million                                                      stores in 2018, resulting in year-over-year
in 2018. Since partnering with Camp                                                           net new store growth of 18%. Freshii is
Sunshine 11 years ago, Tropical Smoothie                                                      partnering with Walmart Canada this year
has secured more than $6.3 million to           dips and spreads sold in more than 250        to bring its grab-and-go lineup to at least
support the camp.                               Whole Foods Markets and grocery stores.       100 Walmart sites in Ontario.
                                                The retail line will be in Whole Foods
                                                                                              “We have a lot of important work to do in
                                                stores nationwide by the end of the year
                                                                                              2019 ... Specifically, we will concentrate
                                                The chain has also teamed up with several     on simplifying our in-store operations,
#27 Cava Grill                                  nonprofit organizations to help promote
                                                healthy eating and urban gardening
                                                                                              improving our menu innovation and
                                                                                              investing more significantly in marketing
Washington, D.C.-based Cava Grill had a         skills. Partners include City Blossoms, a
banner year in 2018, completing a $300                                                        and technology,” Corrin said.
                                                D.C.-based nonprofit organization that is
million acquisition of its major and much       committed to creating kid-driven green
larger competitor, Zoes Kitchen. Panera         spaces that teach youngsters about
Bread founder Ron Shaich, who joined            gardening, sustainability and healthy
Cava as chairman of the board, helped           eating, and Future Chefs, a Boston-based      #29 Mendocino
finance the buyout via Act III Holdings, the
investment vehicle he created.
                                                learning hub committed to empowering
                                                teens with the skills they’ll need to
                                                                                              Farms
                                                                                              Growth at Southern California’s
Although the Zoes Kitchen brand will            become the next generation of thriving
                                                                                              Mendocino Farms is taking off. The
remain intact for the foreseeable future,       culinary professionals.
                                                                                              25-unit chain, founded in 2005 by Mario
Cava CEO Brett Schulman took over as
                                                                                              Del Pero and Ellen Chen, has expanded
CEO for the combined company. Cava
                                                                                              outside its home market into Northern
has 80 locations, with plans to open at
                                                                                              California and Texas and will have five
least 20 additional restaurants by the end
of the year. Zoes, which was a publicly
                                                #28 Freshii                                   more units open by the year’s end.
traded company until the acquisition, has       “Eat. Energize.” is the guiding principle     Known for sourcing ingredients from
more than 250 locations and will open one       behind Freshii, which continues to be one     local farmers, Mendocino is passionate
additional restaurant by the end of 2019.       of the fastest-growing health and wellness    about high-quality foods. For example,
                                                brands in the world, opening its first 200    it exclusively offers free-range chicken
“Together, these two brands are united
                                                stores faster than Starbucks, Domino’s        from Pitman Farms, a three-generation
by a shared heritage and passion for
                                                and even Subway.                              family farm in Sanger, California, and goat
exceptional Mediterranean cuisine,”
                                                It has succeeded in making superfoods         cheese from Drake Family Farms in Utah,
Schulman said.
                                                like kale and quinoa affordable, convenient   operated by veterinarian Dan Drake. The
As a combined company with a workforce                                                        brand also receives truckloads of salad
                                                and delicious. The eco-friendly company
of more than 8,000 team members                                                               greens each day from Scarborough Farms
                                                — which features a variety of completely
across 24 states, Cava, founded in                                                            in Calabasas, California.
                                                customizable menu items, including
2006, in Rockville, Maryland, is now an
                                                breakfast items, soups, salads, wraps,        “For over 20 years, this family farm has
omnichannel platform leveraging two
                                                bowls, burritos, frozen yogurt, juices and    earned a reputation for deeply caring for
service models, digital and app-based
                                                smoothies — has something for everyone.       their land, and has been dedicated to
sales channels and a line of chef-crafted
                                                                                              growing some of the highest quality and

2019                                                                                                                                   16
Top 75 Brands
most beautiful specialty produce around         experience, the chain added delivery last
by using small-scale, custom farming            year via a partnership with DoorDash and
methods to ensure incredible taste,”            launched a loyalty program.
according to Mendocino Farms, which is
backed by Whole Foods.
The catering experience is just as
important as the dine-in experience at          #31 The Habit
Mendocino Farms, which is why the brand
employs dedicated catering specialists at
                                                Burger Grill
each location who serve as personal party       With a focus on quality and a consistently
planners. The brand also offers pickup or       positive consumer experience, The Habit        built by founding brothers Kimo and Kalani
delivery options.                               Burger Grill — founded in 1969 and             Mack. Originating from Oahu, Hawaii, this
                                                headquartered in Irvine, California — is       duo saw a need to bring the Hawaiian
                                                still popular with customers because of its    culture to the rest of the United States.
                                                menu variety, its convenience and a strong
                                                                                               Partnering with Utah-based Four Foods
#30 B.Good                                      consumer value for money proposition. It
                                                has more than 250 locations and will add
                                                                                               Group, which owns more than 150
Localization is key for Boston-based                                                           restaurant locations, has been the catalyst
                                                more than 20 by year’s end.
burger, bowl and salad favorite B.Good.                                                        for growth. The 10-unit brand opened
                                                The chain focused on menu innovation           two locations and reported 14.5% sales
With more than 70 locations, the brand
                                                last year, launching a variety of              growth in 2018. It has already opened
continues to stay true to its roots of
                                                additions, including the Guacamole             two units this year, has five more under
serving locally sourced burgers, bowls,
                                                Crunch Charburger, Sesame Ginger               construction and will soon reach into the
salads and smoothies. With the creation
                                                Salad, Golden Chicken Salad and                Mountain West states of Nevada, Arizona,
of Hannah Farms a couple of years ago,
                                                sides including Bourbon BBQ fries and          Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico,
B.Good grows food for its restaurants,
                                                Sriracha Green Beans.                          Utah and Wyoming.
but also created an opportunity to give
back to the community in which it serves.       The Habit also spent the year increasing its   Store-level IOT and DoorDash
The brand donates 75% of what it grows          brand awareness by elevating its presence      integrations and online ordering round
to local partners, including Camp Harbor        on radio, adding layers of streaming to        out the ability for speedy Mo’ Bettahs
View, a nonprofit serving Boston’s at-risk      reach consumers on their favorite devices      plate-lunch delivery and takeout.
youth with summer programming.                  during their favorite programming and
                                                                                               Its path to growth is set upon quality food:
                                                conducting more local outreach.
“We feed, teach and instill healthy habits                                                     In 2018, the brand created a partnership
through programs like our Farm Internship       Customers weren’t its only concern,            with Sysco Foods Distribution, followed
and Salad Days program — which aims             however. The brand continued its support       up with strengthening its key manufacturer
to provide a short and impactful farm           of No Kid Hungry, helping to raise almost      contracts, improving every aspect of the
experience to get young campers excited         $450,000, and added a training program         food experience.
about fresh vegetables and healthy              called FLAME to help employees find
eating,” CEO Chris Fuqua said.                  clear career paths with The Habit.

Providing healthy options and high-quality
ingredients is key to the brand’s mission of
serving food with local roots. To continue                                                     #33 City
to grow the brand’s story, Brent Feldman        #32 Mo’ Bettahs                                Barbeque
was recently named chief marketing              With a line out the door, the people have
                                                                                               City Barbeque has been doing its own
officer. In an effort to upgrade its customer   spoken, and they seem to be talking about
                                                                                               thing since its founding 20 years ago, when
                                                Mo’ Bettahs, a Hawaiian Island concept
                                                                                               Kansas farm kid and former National FFA

2019                                                                                                                                    17
Top 75 Brands
                                               #34 Mutts Canine #35 Slapfish
                                               Cantina          Constantly striving to offer its guests
                                                                incredible chef-driven food while also
                                               Mutts Canine Cantina is a Dallas-based
                                                                                              offering a high level of customer service
                                               restaurant concept that doubles as
                                                                                              has been a solid strategy for Slapfish,
                                               an urban oasis for dogs and their
                                                                                              which started in 2011 as a food truck in
                                               owners. Both locations feature a bar
                                                                                              California.
                                               and restaurant that serve burgers, fries,
                                               sandwiches and a variety of cocktails.         With a goal of getting people to eat
                                                                                              more seafood, Slapfish’s mission is to
President Rick Malir teamed up with a          Guests with memberships (which can
                                                                                              make it fun and sexy again, to hopefully
competition barbecue team, quit his day        be purchased by the day, month or year)
                                                                                              get people to eat more of it. Its strategy
job, bought an old doughnut shop in Ohio       are given a code to skip the line and
                                                                                              appears to be going swimmingly.
and opened the first City Barbeque.            unlock entrance gates with the wave of a
                                               hand. The main dining area is filled with      In 2018, Slapfish began training initiatives
Today the brand operates 42 company-
                                               bright yellow picnic tables that encourage     to launch its expansion on the East Coast,
owned restaurants in six states: Ohio,
                                               communal dining. The gated small               investing in hundreds of hours of hands-
Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina
                                               and large dog parks feature grouped            on training programs that allowed it to
and Georgia. The menu is a mix of
                                               Adirondack lounge chairs, so dog owners        set operational infrastructure along the
barbecue classics, unique barbecue
                                               can relax and socialize among themselves       Eastern Seaboard for further expansion.
innovations and an ever-changing roster
of limited-time offerings. Its award-winning   while their canines burn off energy.           With 15 units and 10 more in contractual
meats are smoked on-site over local            The brand’s innovative model benefits          development for 2019, Slapfish is
hickory wood, and the same care is taken       communities in that it can exist in odd-       operating on both the East and West
with its scratch-made sides and desserts.      shaped or undevelopable tracts within          coasts and is continuing expansions
                                               popular urban areas, making each               in both markets. It also is developing
City Barbeque’s team is made up of folks
                                               location original. Additionally, the concept   into other markets in the southern and
committed to company values: serving
                                               inspires community and promotes                southwestern United States, as well as
competition-quality barbecue with genuine
                                               outdoor living.                                an international franchise opening in
backyard hospitality; improving themselves
                                                                                              London in March.
and their processes a little every day; and    Mutts plans to expand across major U.S.
staying true to their purpose of serving and   markets through franchising. Since opening
creating happiness.                            its gates, the company has received over
Elizabeth Grunewald, marketing project         100 inquiries from potential franchisees and
specialist, said the brand’s pursuit of        has its sights set on bringing the concept     #36 Tocaya
continuous improvement and innovation is       first to the Sunbelt states.                   Organica
almost unprecedented for an organization
                                                                                              Owned by The Madera Group, Tocaya
of its size. It was an early adopter of call
                                                                                              Organica, a fresh-casual modern organic
centers, loyalty programs, online ordering,
                                                                                              Mexican concept with 12 locations open
analytics and third-party delivery, and it
                                                                                              across Southern California and Arizona,
uses Marketing Vitals across every team
                                                                                              has doubled revenues over the past year
in the company, working closely with
                                                                                              and is projected to do the same by the
all technical partners on improving the
                                                                                              end of 2019.
efficacy of these tools and systems.
                                                                                              Using locally sourced, organic
                                                                                              ingredients, Tocaya’s menu is rooted
                                                                                              in traditional Mexican recipes, naturally

2019                                                                                                                                      18
Top 75 Brands
                                                 cookies, the brand is seeing much
                                                 success with its innovative production
                                                 and supply chain model, all while leaving
                                                 a small carbon footprint.
                                                 The mixture of fresh, healthy food and
                                                 the brand’s quirky atmosphere provides
                                                 both nutrition and fun. It opened three
                                                 units in 2018, bringing the total to 17, and
                                                 also expanded its vegan offerings and            Overall, the brand saw a 1% increase in
                                                 introduced housemade cold-pressed                sales, the average check was up more
accommodating a variety of eating                juices to its menu. Its approach to food is      than 2%, and the average guest check
preferences with vegan, vegetarian and           simple and straightforward, and the menu         increased by 4%.
gluten-free alternatives for salads, tacos,      offers a variety of clean, whole foods with      Fazoli’s launched a loyalty program in
bowls and burritos, while giving non-            flexibility for all eaters. Catering to paleo,   2018, which has already grown to over
vegans their choice of grass-fed meat,           gluten-free, low-carb and vegetarian             300,000 Fazoli’s Rewards members. The
free-range chicken and fish that is always       eaters, Laughing Planet consistently buys        brand also introduced third-party delivery
fresh, never frozen.                             from local farmers to bring the freshest,        (both individual orders and catering) as
With lounge areas, mosaic tiles and              healthiest food possible.                        part of an initial test in company markets.
succulents, guests can enjoy the space           This year, its goal is to expand to              At the end of 2018, Fazoli’s launched
as well as their food, aguas frescas,            states outside of Oregon, Washington             catering with third-party delivery partners
juices, beer, wine and margaritas,               and Nevada.                                      in select locations — with a plan to roll
making Tocaya a new kind of fast                                                                  out company wide this year.
casual experience.
The Madera Group has completed a
$21 million private equity raise to double       #38 Fazoli’s
Tocaya’s footprint by the end of the year.
It’s also launching catering and breakfast.
                                                 After elevating its customer experience          #39 Balance
As the brand expands, however, it will
                                                 and menu several years ago, Fazoli’s
                                                 has enjoyed its reputation as America’s
                                                                                                  Grille
continue to prioritize sustainability efforts,                                                    Balance Pan-Asian Grille — which
                                                 largest fast casual Italian chain. And it’s
which include the sourcing of organic                                                             opened in 2010 in Toledo, Ohio — is
                                                 still growing. Business highlights for 2018
ingredients, printing on recycled paper                                                           going strong, according to soaring Yelp
                                                 included a year-over-year sales increase
and using eco-friendly to-go products,                                                            and Google ratings, as well as reports of
                                                 of 1.4% at company locations and 10
reclaimed wood and LED lighting.                                                                  steady sales growth each week. It has
                                                 restaurant openings. The brand also
                                                                                                  five locations, along with a Bubble-Tea
                                                 signed three franchise agreements and
                                                                                                  bar on the campus of the University of
                                                 set company sales records at two new
                                                                                                  Toledo, and will add five units by 2020.
                                                 restaurant openings.
#37 Laughing                                     Fazoli’s introduced Snacks and
                                                                                                  To oversee the expansion, Balance, which
                                                                                                  is in the middle of a 90-day Series A round
Planet                                           Shareables as part of a menu refresh
                                                 resulting in one of the most successful
                                                                                                  of fundraising, has hired Bryon Stephens,
Laughing Planet is a nutritious and                                                               former president, chief operating officer
                                                 product launches in the brand’s history.
affordable concept that provides a true                                                           (COO) and CDO of Marco’s Pizza, where
                                                 The Snacks and Shareables LTO was
farm-to-plate experience. With a variety                                                          he helped to expand the brand from 100
                                                 part of Fazoli’s “Killer LTO” strategy,
of burritos and bowls, soups, salads,                                                             units to over 900.
                                                 which focuses on culinary innovation and
smoothies, juices and homemade                   enhancing value offerings to drive traffic.      In 2019, Balance Pan-Asian Grille
                                                                                                  launched a mobile app that has proven

2019                                                                                                                                      19
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